The Challenge Starts Tomorrow!

It’s the afternoon of Sunday August 26th. My condo is covered with clothes and hiking gear that I will be taking on the big trip. My camera is being charged, pop tunes are playing, and I’m taking a break from packing to drink some coffee, rest my injured foot, and write this posting.

Tomorrow, Banff National Park’s Big Mountain Challenge begins. I’m so excited about this! It’ll be great to see Dan when he flies in at 11 am, and then we’ll head to Banff to begin this big adventure.

As I sit here, I can’t help but reflect on this entire process. To be honest, I didn’t really think I’d have a shot at winning this challenge when this whole endeavor started. It was on June 12th when Dan sent me the following e-mail:

“YES YES YES YES YES

Are these mountains we could climb?”

Sometimes our e-mails are this short, yes. Well, this looks interesting, I thought. The article starts by saying that tourism officials in Banff are looking for an avid hiker with a big heart. I remember joking- “Ha! I’m an avid hiker… and I have a big heart!” To enter the contest, entrants needed to submit a photo explaining how they would prepare for the big challenge. Dan and I thought it would be a good idea if I entered, and we would both pool whatever resources we could to try and win this contest. Dan, being an active blogger/tweeter/FBer, would use his social networking and blogging power to gather support for my entry, and I would try to do the same. Friends Paul and Turin helped me choose the photo, and after coming up with the tag line on how I was preparing for the challenge (“By singing showtunes to keep the bears away!”), I would have about 6 weeks to get as many votes and comments as I could to support my campaign. If I won the contest, up to $25,000 would go to The Kidney Foundation of Canada, the charity of my choice.

I began to see the support for me and this contest almost immediately. Friends, family and colleagues were very supportive. The votes came in; comments were posted to the Banff National Park FB page saying that I should win, and that the donation should go to The Kidney Foundation of Canada. People were voting whenever they could. Strangers sent me messages about how it was a great thing to be doing this for The Kidney Foundation- people who I had never met, but who were living with kidney disease, or had family members who did, or were recipients of kidney transplants, or who lost family members on the waiting list, or who were newly diagnosed and were scared. A contest that began as “I love hiking” quickly turned into something more. The support quickly put me in first place in the voting.

I thought my vacation to Peru would derail my campaign a bit. I knew I wouldn’t have internet access, but people came to my rescue. Robbie was a huge support throughout this. His efforts would bring The Kidney Foundation on board, and they began posting on their national FB and kidney march pages to garner attention for the contest and gather support. Even though I was dropping in the ranks, my online presence was always strong.

When I came back from Peru, my first media gig happened. I was asked to discuss the Big Mountain Challenge and talk a little bit about my charity on Global Calgary. It was an incredible experience! Robbie and I went to the studio and it was so cool to see how the morning news was produced. To say I was nervous is an understatement, and I was literally shaking on TV (though people probably didn’t notice). I ended the interview, thankful for the opportunity, but hoping it was the last, ha! It was just so nerve-wracking. The general consensus was that it was great, but I was much more serious on camera than usual!

When the contest closed on July 27th, I was 6th place in the votes. The fine print for the contest did emphasize that votes and comments are ‘strongly’ considered by the judging panel, and that they did not determine the winner. So I figured I had a good shot at winning, but there were some great entries, very strong campaigns, and incredible charities in the mix. It seemed like it could be anyone’s contest to win. When August 3rd rolled around and I was announced as a Top 10 finalist but not the winner, I was sad, mainly because I would have loved to see The Kidney Foundation win the $25,000.  Many people told me that I was still a winner in their eyes, having brought so much awareness about kidney disease and for placing so high out of 719 entries. That made me feel better :). Kidney disease is one of those ‘silent’ diseases that oftentimes presents itself once the kidneys have already failed. I knew from talking with family and friends that, at the very least, some people learned something about kidney failure. I sent my congratulations to the winner, and then went away for the weekend. 

How things in life can change pretty quickly. On Tuesday, August 7th, I received a call from Banff Lake Louise Tourism, informing me there were some eligibility issues with the winner, and that I was the new winner! What crazy news! I was outside of my building, jumping up and down. I’m sure people were watching me, but I didn’t care. I was soooo excited! Once I called Dan to let him know, he first asked “Are you kidding me?”. Of course I wasn’t. I never call Dan, so why would I call to joke about something like this? He was shocked and super excited. I asked him, “Are you still available August 27th – September 4th?” He replied that he would do whatever it took to get the time off and be here. I think we’re both still thinking this whole thing is surreal. 

Since August 7th, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind. I was in contact with the fundraising department at The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Southern Alberta branch. They set up a fundraising page that explained that the fundraising was part of the Big Mountain Challenge. Friends, family, colleagues and supporters began donating immediately. Our goal was to raise $5000 within 2 weeks, and Banff Lake Louise Tourism would match, dollar-for-dollar, any amount we made up to $5000. I’ve never fundraised for anything before, so I was quite nervous about this part. The afternoon of August 13th, the donation page went live. By August 17th, we had surpassed $5000 in donations. At times, I was speechless. I couldn’t believe how fast the money had come in. What can you say to everyone who backed me up in this contest since June 12th? How do you thank them for tolerating the many e-mails and Facebook updates? And now, how could I express to everyone how incredible it is to be part of an effort that raised more than $5000 in less than 5 days? I’m still reeling from this, and will continue to say Thank You to everyone as much as I can. 

That first Global Calgary interview would not be my only media experience. Since then, I had a live phone interview with The Morning Show on Global Toronto; was in Calgary’s Metro News, the Milton Champion, the Libin Institute blog, on the University of Calgary’s Utoday and main webpage, and the Faculty of Medicine’s News Digest. I’ve done radio interviews with QR77, Mountain FM, and the CBC Eyeopener.  It’s all been about promoting Banff and Lake Louise, as well as talking about The Kidney Foundation and how people can donate. I’ve been enjoying all of the media for what it is, and it’s been very exciting, though part of me is looking forward to it dying down a bit :). 

By August 22nd, when the fundraising link closed, we had raised $6,762. Once the hikes are completed by Labour Day (September 3rd), The Kidney Foundation will receive $26,762. Absolutely incredible.

I am so grateful for all of the experiences that have occurred since this contest began, and this is not something I take for granted by any means. Starting tomorrow, Dan and I are about to start the final phase of the contest- the trip to Banff and Lake Louise, and hiking the three mountains: Cascade Mountain, Mount Temple, and Sulphur Mountain. For me, Banff and Lake Louise aren’t too far away, but they are amazing parts of Alberta, and of the world, really. The scenery there is stunning, and I’m amazed by the beauty every time I go. This will be no different. The itinerary is pretty packed:

August 27: Arrive in Banff and check in to The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

August 28: Classic Hike #1- Cascade Summit (10 – 12 hours)

August 29: Willow Stream Spa Day at the Banff Springs

August 30: Transfer to Lake Louise and check in to The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Lake Louise Shoreline Stroll with a Heritage Guide.

August 31: Classic Hike #2- Temple Summit (10 – 12 hours)

September 1: Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House, and have lunch with the owner!

September 2: Transfer to Banff and check in to The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Willow Stream Spa Day #2 🙂

September 3: Class Hike #3- Sulphur Summit (1.5 hours), followed by a photo opportunity and press event! (This includes Julie Canning, President & CEO from Banff Lake Louise Tourism, and Stuart Hart, Director of Sales & Marketing Development, for the cheque presentation; and Global TV, Banff Crag & Canyon, The Rocky Mountain Outlook, The Calgary Herald and The Calgary Sun for photo opportunities and interviews! Wow!)

September 4: Dan flies home and I return to Calgary

So I just looked at the time, and I should really get back to packing. Nothing has moved in the last 2 hours, and my suitcase is still empty. There will be more opportunities to write during the trip, and I’ll definitely be posting photos. I look forward to seeing what the next week brings. I wish I could bring everyone who helped me out with this contest! First up- Cascade Mountain on Tuesday. So excited…